1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of polyolefin nanocomposites, and particularly to a method of making polyolefin with a silicon nitride nano-filler using silicon nitride (SiN) as a promoter for in situ polymerization with a zirconocene catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ethylene polymerization is a well-known process, and is conventionally performed using free-radical polymerization, the Zeigler-Natta catalyst technique, the Phillips catalyst technique, the metallocene catalyst technique, and the post-metallocene catalyst technique. Polyolefin composites are of great interest due to their mechanical and thermal properties. It has been found that addition of nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide, doped titanium, silicon dioxide, aluminum trioxide and zirconium dioxide, may improve the polymer properties of such composites.
The use of metallocene catalysts in the production of polyolefin composites is known. However, it would be desirable to provide a filler material to produce polyolefin composites with enhanced properties in which the filler material itself also increases the activity of the metallocene catalysts, thereby providing higher yield and higher molecular weight polyolefins. Thus, a method of making polyolefin with a silicon nitride nano-filler solving the aforementioned problems is desired.